Love Story
by pearlchavez
Summary: “Tell me how it happened,” Sonny Munroe asked Chad Dylan Cooper. She was lying in the bed, her arms reaching out to him. “Tell me how you finally realised that I’m the one for you.”


**Author's Note: So I watched "Love Story", and realised that I could get a good SWAC story out of it. Tell me what you think. I guess it's my little belated Valentine's Day story. Read and review!**

"Tell me how it happened," Sonny Munroe asked Chad Dylan Cooper. She was lying in the bed, her arms reaching out to him. "Tell me how you finally realised that I'm the one for you."

Chad kissed her hand softly, unwilling to disturb her delicate skin, but she hated him when he looked at her like she was a porcelain doll. She didn't like anyone to bullshit her, and everything about their unconventional love story was practical, just the way she wanted it. Of course he had managed to add in some fireworks, but mostly, it was everything she wanted.

He didn't want to tell the story to her, because he had so many times, and it would remind him just how things used to be. Chad didn't want to remember how things used to be, but he stroked her pale cheek and smiled softly. He nodded his head, and grasped her hand.

****

Chad Dylan Cooper was not very happy on February 14th. It was a day he loathed on his calendar, he loathed it more than he loathed the day So Random first aired on TV screens. He fully believed that the day was only a bid for Hallmark to receive more profit than he deserved, and actively blanked the day as just a normal one. He didn't send anyone a card. He didn't believe in sending cards, but hey, who was he to turn down a few thousand cards himself?

He walked into his dressing room and saw the three sacks of cards sitting on the floor, just waiting for his love and attention. He smirked, and sat down to read them. Reading the cards reminded him just how desirable he was. Hello, it was Chad Dylan Cooper; of course he was going to receive a thousand of them. Every year, young girls would send them their adolescent desires: some scared the shit out of him, but others made him wish that those girls were closer to him. Some of them were actually quite beautiful, despite their painful addiction to Chad.

Unfortunately no one was as pretty as Sonny Munroe, and he hated it. It wasn't that he was in love with the girl; he basically hated her. She was just cute, stupid cute. He hated admitting that her eyes dazzled in the moonlight when they were out together trying to ruin true love. He hated realising that her hair was in fact shiny. The worst thing? He hated admitting the feelings he gained south of the border when she was in the room.

"Oh wow, your head's going to be huge today," suddenly, the stupid girl's voice echoed all around the room, in that perfect tempo, in the perfect tone. She sounded just a little jealous, and Chad loved it. "It is such a shame that those girls don't know the real you."

"Who cares? They think I'm God," he winked, showing her one of the cards. Her face screwed up with disgust, and he realised he showed her one of the more erotic cards. "What do you want Munroe? You're wasting a whole lot of Chad's pretty time."

"I just came to ask you if I could maybe have your courtside seats again," she asked, biting her lip nervously. Why on earth would she need those? The last time she needed them, Chad's feelings were tossed into emotional overdrive, and everyone around him felt the painful brunt. "I know what happened last time, and I am so sorry, but this time I will be practically invisible, and so will-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who are you taking?" Chad asked her, trying to remain as calm as he could. From the crimson colour of her cheeks, and the shy smile on her face, he knew right away whom she was going with. "Oh Munroe, is this a date?"

"I don't think you need to know that," she replied, crossing her arms. "Let's just say I'm taking a male friend. Now, can you make me say the awful things you usually do so I can go?"

"Munroe, I need to know more about the person who's taking the second seat," he insisted, smirking, but he really wasn't enjoying this moment. He didn't know how to feel, his emotions had no outlet, so he felt numb and a little shaky. "Now, tell me about the guy."

"His name is Josh," she told him, and he could tell that it was making her uncomfortable. Chad loved it though; it always gave him strength watching her squirm. It made him forget for just one second that he might be feeling a little jealous. "He's the son of my Mom's friend and we've known each other a few months. He asked me out last night."

"That is so tacky! Taking you out on Valentine's Day!" Chad scoffed, but he sounded like he was about to snap, so he attempted to calm himself. "Is he as pretty as CDC?"

"Contrary to what you might think, it's not hard to be prettier than you," she told him, smirking. Why was it, than even she was insulting him, she could always make his heart beat faster than it normally does. Even when she was saying absolutely nothing of interest, he paid attention to every word. As if he was waiting for her to say something he wanted to hear.

"Oh Munroe, you're not doing a very good job trying to secure these seats," he winced sarcastically, and then she sported that stupid worried expression that he couldn't resist, not even if he wanted to. "Okay, tell me what I want to hear. Just the one thing you despise saying and then you can have them to go out with Mr Cliché."

"Do I have to?" She asked him. Sonny Munroe was constantly playing with fire, and it infuriated Chad Dylan Cooper. It also excited him more than he wanted.

"Do I have to give you these tickets?" He replied. He looked up at her, and prayed for her not to say it. If she didn't say it, then he wouldn't give her the tickets and she wouldn't have to go out with Josh. Who calls their kid Josh? It's a name with absolutely no momentum, he thought.

"You're the greatest actor of our generation," she said quickly and quietly. Wow, she really did want to go out with this guy. Chad felt his body tensing and the need to breathe become a difficulty. This was truly ridiculous: he didn't want to go out with her. Why not let the clichéd guy take her out?

"Use them wisely," he replied, turning back to his cards. "And just remember who could've been taking you out tonight."

"I think I'll live Chad," she told him, giggling. "Have you not got an actual date for tonight?"

"I don't believe in Valentine's Day," he shook his head. "I'll have a date by tomorrow though, so don't you worry about me. Now, go, it's back to Chad's pretty time."

It was when she was just about to walk out the door when Chad gained the courage he desperately wanted when he didn't want to admit it. He looked up at Sonny Munroe, and felt the blood pulsing through his veins and his voice leave him. But he had to say it. If he didn't say it, then he would forever regret it.

"Sonny I-"

"Chad I-"

They both interrupted each other, and it was at that moment, Chad unfortunately landed back on earth and realised the consequences that would come if he admitted what he desperately wanted. He couldn't do it, and instead shook his head. He didn't need any of it.

"Was there something you wanted to say?" She asked him, and there was a twinge of hopefulness in her tone, and Chad didn't like the fact that he had to lie again to her. Did she feel how he did sometimes? Did she want something that she shouldn't want?

"Sonny, I warn you now, I don't want you on the cover of Tween Weekly giving in to that lousy kiss cam," he warned her, and he saw her cheeks go crimson again. He wanted to tell her why, the real reason why, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Why? Are you jealous?" Sonny asked him. He didn't realise it before, but he realised that it seemed to be just the two of them in the world. Everything was dark, and all he could see were her glittering eyes and hopeful smile.

"No, it gives me bad publicity," he scoffed, shaking his head. "Have a good time."

"Yeah, you too Chad," she replied, and she sounded a little disappointed. She was excellent at hiding her feelings though, and flashed him a quick smile before leaving.

It was when she closed the door that he scrunched up one of the cards in anger and allowed himself to feel the one emotion that he repressed every time she slipped through his fingers: jealousy.

"Come on people! We need to get this scene today!" Chad snapped at his fellow cast mates, who were allowing themselves to be preoccupied with the day it was, despite Chad's rule to ban the whole day. He cursed the day that they allowed cast mates to date each other. His on-screen soulmate wasn't standing across from him, and instead had her arms wrapped around one of his other cast mates.

"I was damn serious when I said we need to wrap the episode today!" He snapped, dragging Portlyn away from her boyfriend, and forcing her to stand across from him. "I swear, I am so pushing for you guys to be banned from dating on-set. Our boyfriend/girlfriend is Mackenzie Falls! Don't anyone ever forget that!"

"Jeez Chad, will you chill out?" Portlyn asked; her hair messed up due to her boyfriend's hands being all over it when they kissed. It made Chad think of how Sonny's hair might end up messed up after her date with Josh. The mere thought of someone touching her so tenderly made him want to barf. Stupid, stupid cute. He had to get his act together. "I think you need to get a date for tonight."

"I don't need one," he protested, shaking his head. "It is a stupid day that makes you think of things that you don't normally think about, and that fucks with your head. I am dedicated to my craft, and that is all I need."

"It's because she has a date, isn't it?" Portlyn asked, a smirk on her face. "Your forbidden crush is actually into someone else."

She was the only one who knew, and Chad didn't even mean to tell her. He was drunk one night, and so was she. He then admitted what Selena Gomez had said and how he had also confessed to her hair being so shiny. He also might have said something about wishing that just one night Munroe would give in and kiss him, just so he knew whether she was the girl for him. Of course, he was wasted and he didn't mean any of it.

"No, I don't care," he shrugged his shoulders, but his shoulders tensed up, as if his body refused to allow him to forget about it.

Chad was forced to allow his cast mates to finish at six that night, instead of eight pm, like he would have rather. He didn't want to go home to his apartment, where his Mother would probably be basking in the day's glory. His Dad was working away this weekend in England, but he knew that she would be watching something cheesy and overly romantic.

"Hey kid, you're home early," his Mom smiled, her golden hair reflecting from the sunset outside of the window. He saw that she had just finished watching "When Harry Met Sally". It was her favourite movie, and he had been forced to watch it more than once.

"It's Valentine's Day," he shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. "The whole world's got damn stars in their eyes."

"Why do you hate this holiday so much kid?" She asked him, looking deep into his eyes. If anyone could probe a confession from him, it was Mrs Cooper. She used to be the only woman who knew everything about him, but that had changed since SHE came to Hollywood.

"It's pathetic," he insisted through gritted teeth. "Who needs their relationship to be validated? Who needs to go out with someone just because it's February 14th? What happened to just going out whenever you feel like it? Who needs to go to a stupid basketball – you know what? Forget it, I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine," she replied, holding up her hands to signify her surrender. "I'm going to watch 'Love Story', will you watch it with me? I am your Mom, and I don't give a shit about how much you hate today."

"Okay, I will watch it with you," he replied, as she turned the DVD on. He had never heard of the movie before, but the title was enough to tell him that he was in for a long night with his Mother. He didn't want to disappoint her though, because she loved the day, and everything about the message it sent and her husband was out of the country. Chad's Mother was probably the only woman whom he gave into.

He wished that he didn't watch the movie. It was fine when it started; a young man sat alone on a park bench, thinking of days gone by with the love of his life. It was your usual cheesy dialogue and predictive plot, but then Chad actually started watching it. It happened so slowly, so slowly that he wasn't even aware that it was happening. He didn't see that girl's face once; instead he saw Sonny Munroe staring back at the male character. Yes, the male character morphed into Chad every time he saw his face. He tried to ignore it. He shook his head and blinked a few times, but still, all he could see was himself and Sonny Munroe before his eyes. Everything she said reminded him of Sonny, and everything the guy said, reminded him of himself.

His heart pounded throughout the whole film. Their relationship was everything that he wanted, and he didn't even know it until now. Everything he wanted was signified in that movie. Every relationship he had been in was nothing compared to this. The characters were so independent, and were able to have fun and take the piss. They loved each other, but it didn't take over their lives. Everything the girl said reminded him of something Sonny would say to him, or something she had said to him. They were in love, but they didn't lose the chemistry between them. That was what he wanted.

Chad Dylan Cooper wanted Sonny Munroe. He realised it just as the movie ended. He tried to block it out of his mind, but the thought of her going out with someone else when he realised that they were meant for each other made him ill. How could he not have seen it? It was surely there all along: between the lines, like Selena Gomez had said. It had always been there, and he had always been so blind. He needed to see her now. She had to know how he felt. If she didn't know, then she might end up falling for Josh, and not Chad, and that would be a damn shame. Chad Dylan Cooper didn't fall for anyone, so surely she had to feel it too.

He sprinted over to her apartment as quickly as he could, and without a word to his Mother. When he returned and told her the story, she would forgive him. The basketball game wasn't due to start for another half hour, so surely she hadn't left yet. Sonny Munroe didn't know the meaning of being early, so she couldn't have left, and he surely wasn't going to be there.

Chad pounded on her door like his life depended on it. If he was honest, a large part of his life did depend on it. When she answered the door, he realised just how terrified he was. Her eyes were wide and her hair so shiny. She looked at him with so much bewilderment and confusion, wondering what on earth he was doing at her door. He wondered what on earth he was doing at the door, until he looked into his eyes. And then he got lost. It turns out he had been lost since they first met.

"Don't tell me you want the tickets back," she moaned. "You know something? You're a real jerk, I said something to you that I would never say and now you want them back? You're an asshole, and I seriously hate-"

Chad didn't let her finish. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. He was originally going to tell her everything he realised, but her lips were so inviting. The glare she threw in his direction was too much of a temptation. Her lips were soft, and her body felt like it belonged to his. The most disturbing part was when he felt her arms wrap around him, and her lips respond to his. It was pure bliss, until she realised what she was doing, and pushed him away.

"What are you doing?" She asked him furiously.

"You're the one," he shrugged his shoulders, his body allowing him to do it this time. She looked confused, and shocked, her cheeks turning crimson again.

"I'm the one?" She asked him, shaking her head. "What do you mean I'm the one?"

"I hate you more than anybody I know," he told her, pointing his finger at her through gritted teeth. "You're supposed to be that random girl from Wisconsin. You make fun of me, you ridicule me, and you constantly put me down, but you know what? I love it. I love it every time you do it. The most pathetic thing is that I would gladly give up one of the blonde bombshells that constantly ask me out just to spend a day with you taking the piss out of me. I hate you for that. I really hate you."

"So what you're saying is that you actually love me?" She asked.

"Yeah I do," he snapped. "I love you, and God knows why."

"What do you expect me to say to that?" She demanded, echoing the intense passion he had in his voice.

"It would be nice for you to tell me that you love me too," he replied, unable to believe that she seriously didn't know where to go with this.

"You are the most arrogant jerk I have ever met! You always make fun of me, you hurt my feelings, you hate my show, and you expect me to tell you that I love you?" She snapped, a small tear coming to her eye. "You know I do. Why else would I still want to know you?"

"Now will you cancel your date?" He asked her. "I would kinda like to be with you tonight."

"You are the biggest pain in my life," she moaned, taking out her cell phone. "Go inside, and make yourself at home, for God's sake."

She cancelled her date and then they spent the evening together, and the next two years.

****

"I don't have any regrets, you know," she told Chad, her fragile hands stroking his. She knew that it was difficult for him to tell the story. He didn't want to be reminded of who he was without her, because soon he would have to live without her again. "I volunteered to be your girlfriend."

They had found out one day at the hospital when she went in to ensure that she wasn't pregnant. They thought that something was wrong when she found herself vomiting most mornings and feeling increasingly light-headed. It turned out to be something worse than that. It turned out to be something that Chad had never thought of. He never thought that it would have to cross his mind. He never thought that someone her age could actually die from something so terminal.

"Yeah, I know," he replied, kissing her hand softly. He felt that it was all his fault. Their relationship had been built on a mutual respect for the other, and for themselves. He thought that he had caused her more stress than she deserved. Chad wondered if she would still be healthy had she went out with Josh that night, instead of him.

"Don't even start putting yourself down," she warned him, pointing her shaking finger at him. "I was in a very successful - and hectic - TV show, and I was trying to refrain myself from killing you. It's happening Chad. It's fate. It's no one's fault. I just have to go."

"If you had gone with Josh-"

"If I had gone with Josh, then - as much as I hate you at times - I wouldn't have gotten a pretty decent two years," she finished, stroking his cheek softly. "You are the one. You always were."

"What am I going to do when you're gone, huh?" He asked, lying down next to her, even though the hospital advised strongly against it. Sonny leaned on his chest, her scent drifting through Chad. He would never forget it.

"You can finally ask out those blonde bombshells," she joked, but it was frightening when she laughed. It always erupted into a violent cough, and sometimes it took her a long time to catch her breath. Chad didn't want to admit that he felt like joining her shortly after she was gone. "You know what you're going to do; you're going to find someone else."

"I don't know if I can," he told her truthfully, and then they shared a soft kiss. "You've ruined everything, you know. Now I practically can't live without you."

"Well you need to," she sighed, squeezing his hand. "I will keep an eye on you, you know, if they let me. I figure I'm going to have a hard time living without you too. I just need you to promise me one thing? I'm a dying woman, so you have to do it."

"Fine, what is it?" He asked, looking her deep in the eyes.

"You have to promise me that you're going to find someone else," she told him, and placed a finger on his lips before he refused. "I think I'd feel pretty lame knowing I kept you from finding anyone in your life. So please, promise me that you won't be alone forever."

"She won't be you," he told her, kissing her softly.

"I know," she sighed. "I might have been the best you ever had, but there's no harm in trying, is there?"

"Okay, but for now-"

"I know, you love me," she smiled, and then he smiled and nodded his head. "I love you too. I'm really going to miss you. You don't know how much."

"You're going to a good place," he assured her, and then they shared their last kiss.

They lay together for a while. No one spoke, and Chad only let go when she did. When she closed her eyes for the final time, he knew that she was gone. He didn't know how to feel. He hadn't imagined it. The past few months had felt like a dream, and now he was being forced to wake up.

She was gone.

He was alone again.

THE END


End file.
